While I've been clear about which side I favor in this thing, the fact is the 04-05 lockout was a good lesson in living without the NHL. I pay little attention to the rumors of meetings and proposals. The main thing I miss right now is my fantasy hockey league. Truth is, I'm a born and raised hockey junkie, that won't change. When they come back, I'll be back, but the other truth is the NHL doesn't make much money off of me. I pay for the Center Ice package and maybe 1 game a year at the Fleet Center, otherwise, nada. I'm not the fan they are going to lose and I'm also not the fan who puts them in the black, I suspect, but I am a fan who has learned to be relatively indifferent to the absence of the NHL. They're all playing with fire, especially Bettman...I still don't believe he will allow himself to be a commissioner who loses 2 complete seasons.

Good points bc....my op was getting at the relative indifference we as fans are attaining. It Is not welcomed but it Is real..it simply hurts less each time. Which cannot end up being a good thing for the league.

rats19 wrote:Good points bc....my op was getting at the relative indifference we as fans are attaining. It Is not welcomed but it Is real..it simply hurts less each time. Which cannot end up being a good thing for the league.

rats19 wrote:Good points bc....my op was getting at the relative indifference we as fans are attaining. It Is not welcomed but it Is real..it simply hurts less each time. Which cannot end up being a good thing for the league.

rats19 wrote: a fear I have is that a mind of your calibre will not partake in the daily life of a hockey talk message board any longer. I know it would survive without you..but it would be different and you would be missed.

Kind words rats but truth be told the lustre of my posting abilities has long been tarnished regardless (like back at the old place as well I mean).

I think what you see is what you get at this time, an occassional drop by to read anything that spikes my interest and the (very) odd tossing in of a few words here and there.

This is already a few and far between scenario and I would imagine one day in the relatively near future I will simply be gone.

I amjust dissapointed that both sides of the dispute cling to leadership with long records of labour lockouts. Both sides knew there would be a lockout... planned for it,and are using it as a negotiating tactic

The 'Chain of Command' is the chain I am going to beat you with untill you understand I am in charge.

Good topic Rats.. Well the last ticket I bought was 2 game 2 of the playoffs in Vancouver..I flew back from Thailand a couple weeks early just to see it and paid a scalper a small fortune to get a decent seat.. One team put it all on the ice.. One team didn't . Unfortunately I am a fan of the ones that didn't... And I am now of a firm ( though flakey ) mind that it is the last ticket I will buy to an NHL game.. My first ticket to an NHL gamewas at the Montreal Forum to watch Montreal/Detroit for $10... 1954.. Rocket Richard/Gordie Howe .. .. I am still a hockey fan.. in 54.. the average hockey players wage was about 3 times the canadian average wage.. No millionaire hockey players.. I love hockey and will continue to support minor league and amateur hockey.. If the KHL develops a "Western " ( North American ) division I would pay to see it ..( with a cap of about 1/2 the NHL cap and very close to the same talent ) the price would probably be about 1/2 the present NHL price per ticket..

Overall the major financial problems for the league ( players and owners ) will be in the "fringe franchises" . The teams that are still trying to develop a fan base and losing money doing it.. They may lose 10 % of their fans and that might just be too much of a loss for the owners of those franchises to bear.. There are now only 12 of the 30 franchises making a profit and I suspect that profit will decrease and the losses will force another long look and possibly more bankrupt franchise owners.. The players are not in touch with the reality of the US economic downward trend and expecting more instead of dealing with the facts that nearly all businesses in North America have had to tighten the belt and in the US they had to get used to a decrease dollar value.. Reality is I am not going to pay more for less and less hockey entertainment and I expect many hockey fans feel the same..

rats19 wrote: a fear I have is that a mind of your calibre will not partake in the daily life of a hockey talk message board any longer. I know it would survive without you..but it would be different and you would be missed.

Kind words rats but truth be told the lustre of my posting abilities has long been tarnished regardless (like back at the old place as well I mean).

I think what you see is what you get at this time, an occassional drop by to read anything that spikes my interest and the (very) odd tossing in of a few words here and there.

This is already a few and far between scenario and I would imagine one day in the relatively near future I will simply be gone.